CBC, Netflix, APTN Greenlight Arctic Comedy

Netflix, CBC and APTN have commissioned a new as-yet-untitled comedy series that will film in Nunavut.

The show was created and will be written by Inuit film and TV writer and producer Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Inuit filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril. In the series, a young Inuk mother wants to build a new future for herself, but it won’t be easy in her small Arctic town where everyone knows your business.

Executive producers are Stacey Aglok MacDonald (Qanurli, Grizzlies), Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Angry Inuk, Grizzlies), Miranda de Pencier (Anne With an E, Beginners, The Grizzlies), Susan Coyne (Mozart In the Jungle, Daisy Jones & The Six, Slings & Arrows) and Garry Campbell (The Kids in the Hall, Less Than Kind). Northwood Entertainment and Red Marrow Media are producing.

Aglok MacDonald and Arnaquq-Baril said:  “This series is full of stories that come straight from our hearts and our funny bones. We’ve drawn from our experiences as Inuit women living, laughing, crying and shacking up while Native. We are so excited to work with all our incredible partners at CBC, Netflix and APTN, and we can’t wait to start filming!”

Added de Pencier: “I’m thrilled to be teaming up with Stacey and Alethea for our third project together and excited for audiences to see this hilarious, unexpected and essential series that Stacey and Alethea have created.”

Coyne said: “Stacey and Alethea have created a story that is very funny and clearly comes from the heart. I can’t wait to work with Stacey and Alethea to explore the lives, relationships, and emotional journeys of their amazing cast of characters.”

Sally Catto, general manager of entertainment, factual and sports at CBC, commented: “This vibrant comedy delivers an authentic perspective on personal journeys, friendship and community in the Arctic. We are excited to partner with Netflix and APTN to film in Nunavut and bring Stacey and Alethea’s deeply personal storytelling to audiences across Canada.”

Danielle Woodrow, director of content for Canada, and Tara Woodbury, director of content for Canada at Netflix, added: “As soon as we heard about this show, we knew we wanted to share it with our members around the world. Stacey and Alethea have created a very relatable and funny story that showcases the unique experience of living in Canada’s Arctic regions. We’re thrilled to be partnering with them and working with Miranda and the teams at CBC and APTN.”

“This show is a brilliant and heartfelt gem of a comedy from two of Canada’s most exciting creators,” said Adam Garnet Jones, director of TV content and special events at APTN. “A very short time ago, it would have been impossible to imagine an Indigenous comedy shot in the Arctic, with massive national and international reach. It’s a dream come true for APTN to help bring this story to audiences across Turtle Island and around the world. We know audiences are going to fall in love with the show’s characters, and the production industry in Nunavut is going to receive a huge boost in a way it never has before.”